In an age of increasing demands for accountability in higher education, many assistance programs are coming under increasing scrutiny. We need to perform at the highest of professional standards in our assessment and evaluation processes, and as much as possible, we need to do our own work. Learning some basic assessment and evaluation strategies can positively impact the quality of our individual services and the capacity of our profession to establish its importance in higher education.

This webinar will begin by reviewing characteristics of tutorial programs in higher education and ways in which programs collect data for evaluation. We will then review several processes for assessment and evaluation:

Quantitative methods, from basic statistics for usage to more sophisticated ways of viewing program effectiveness

The use of national standards and research for comparative assessment

We will also briefly cover information about using consultants for evaluation.

Objectives:

Participants will learn:

What kinds of data are most important and useful for evaluation

How program characteristics impact evaluation processes

Key elements of qualitative methods and rigor

How to establish control or comparison groups for quantitative evaluation

The power of multiple measures

How to set and use standards for assessment and evaluation

Where and how to find evaluation assistance on campus

Where to find helpful resources, including software, websites, texts, and examples

The importance of continued research and evaluation for the profession

Who should attend?

2-year institutions & 4-year institutions

Instruction

Student Services/Affairs

Retention Specialist

Directors of Assessment

Learning Centers

Tutoring

Jan Norton received her Masterís in Educational Research & Psychology. In addition to managing comprehensive, multi-discipline learning centers, she has worked as an evaluation consultant for tutoring programs and developmental education in several states and been a reviewer for NADE, CRLA, and NCLCA certifications. Her training includes Supplemental Instruction, the Kellogg Institute, the Winter Institute, the NCLCA Summer Institute, TIDE, a NACADA Summer Institute, and NADE certification training; she was one of the featured trainers at the 2006 Winter Institute and the 2005 NCLCA Summer Institute. For CRLA, she has served as the leader for the Learning Assistance Center Management SIG and the Research & Evaluation SIG. Currently working for Academic Programs and Student Development at the University of Iowa, Jan continues to be an occasional author and a frequent presenter at conferences.